Furniture display rack



July 19, 1955 B. s. THOMPSON FURNITURE DISPLAY RACK Filed OCT.. 2, 1952 2 SheetSShee1 INVENTOR, BELTON STHOMPSON.

ATTORNEYS July 19, 1955 B. s. THoMPsoN 2,713,424

FURNITURE DISPLAY RACK Filed OCT.. 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Shee1 2 B ELTON STI-1o MPsoN,

INVENTOR.

BY fu# ZZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent O pas FURNHTURE DISPLAY RACK Belton S. Thompson, Whiteville, N. C.

Application etober 2, 1952, Serial No. 312,803

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-27) This invention relates to an improved type of display rack, and more especially to a display rack for furniture and the like, wherein a plurality of bulky articles, such as articles of furniture, may be displayed in superposed or in stacked relationship in such a manner as to display all of the features of said articles.

Heretofore, in displaying furniture in furniture stores and the like, the heavy articles of furniture such as couches, chairs and the like have been placed around the iioor of the display room and this has required a large floor area. It is the primary object of this invention to increase the effective amount of display area available in a given size display room by utilizing the present improved display rack to permit bulky items of furniture to be stacked on said rack adjacent the wall of the display l room to thus permit a greater amount of articles to be displayed than has heretofore been possible.

lt is another object of this invention to provide a display rack which is particularly adapted to be associated with a vertical wall of a room and which comprises end frames formed from rear frame members which are vertically disposed and front frame members which extend at an angle and diverge outwardly from top to bottom so that the end frames are substantially triangularly-shaped, and these frames are interconnected by suitable means to provide at least two display shelves on the rack for displaying bulky items of furniture.

It is another object of this invention to provide a display rack of the type described having triangularly-shaped end frames and transversely extending frame members connecting the end frames wherein the lowermost transversely extending frame member is spaced above the lower ends of the triangular frames a distance somewhat greater than the height of the furniture to be displayed on said rack to permit at least one item of furniture to be displayed on the floor beneath said rack, and said transversely extending frame member supporting shelf means for displaying at least a second item of furniture in spaced superposed relation to the iirst item of furniture and the rack also being provided with a furniture support at the uppermost portion thereof for displaying at least one additional article of furniture above the first named articles of furniture.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is an isometric view of the improved display rack showing a plurality of items of furniture displayed thereon in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the display rack shown in Figure 1 wherein the intermediate shelf portion has been slightly modied;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary isometric view of the left hand portion of Figure 2 looking substantially along the arrow 3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 in Figure 2.

V angularly-shaped frame.

2,713/5224 Patented .luiy 19, 1955 Mite Referring more specifically to the drawings there will be observed triangularly-shaped end frames, there being one of said end frames at each end of the display rack, and the parts associated with the right-hand end frame will bear the same reference characters as those associated with the left-hand end frame with the prime notation added. Each of the triangularly-shaped frames comprises a vertically extending rear angle bar 10 to the upper end of which is connected a front angle bar 11 as by a bolt 12. The angle bar 11 extends downwardly at an angle to the angle bar 10 and in diverging relation thereto and terminates in the same plane as the lower end of the rear bar 10 so that the base of the frame thus formed is substantially wider than the top or apex of the tri- The frame may be supported on a suitable floor F. The rearmost angle bars of frame members 1t?, 1d are connected by a lowerrnost transversely extending frame member 13 suitably secured thereto, as by bolts 15, and brace bars 14, 14 connect the bar 16 with the transverse bar 13 and the bar 16' with the transverse bar 13, respectively.

It will be observed that this lowermost transverse frame member 13 is positioned above the lower ends of the bars 10, 10 a distance somewhat greater than the height of an article of furniture to be placed on the floor beneath said rack, and this frame member 13 forms the rearmost portion of a lower shelf or intermediate display area. The front portion of this lower shelf or intermediate display area is formed from a pair of short angle bars 20, 20 connected to the members 11 and 11 respectively,

as by bolts, and extending toward each other at substantially right angles to the members 11, 11', the bars 2li, 25 being in horizontal alinement with the frame member 13 and being supported by brace members 21, 21' suit- V ably connected thereto and to the frame members 11, 11

as by bolts 22. The members 20, 20 are relatively short and do not extend across the entire length of the display stand.

To the upper surface of each of the members 20, 20 there is secured an angle bar 25, 25', respectively, each of which extends rearwardly from the bars 20, 20', respectively, and has its rearmost ends suitably secured to the upper surface of the transverse bar 13, as by bolts. lt will be observed thatthe bars 25, 25 are spaced closely adjacent the members 11, 11', respectively. Removably secured to the upper surface of the members 20, 2d are second bars 26, 26', each having a plate 27, 27 secured thereto and to the bars 25, 25 as by bolts 3l), the plates 27, 27 serving to space the bars 26, 26 from the bars 25, 25', respectively. The bars 2d, 26 are secured to the bars Ztl, 2Q by some of the bolts 30 and the rearmost ends thereof rest on or are suitably secured to the rear transverse frame member 13.

it will thus be observed that the bars 25, 2S and 26, 26' together with the plates 27, 27' form a pair of relatively narrow shelves spaced adjacent the frame members 11, 11 and extending from the rear of the display rack to a point spaced from the front edge of the members 11, 11'. These shelves, thus formed, are adapted to support the ends of a suitable article of furniture such as a studio couch S.

An upper display area is also provided comprising arms 31, 31' having their rearmost ends secured to the respective frame members 10, 10 as by bolts 32 and extending forwardly and being secured intermediate their ends to the frame members 11, 11 as by bolts 33, it being observed that the forward ends of the bars 31, 31' are spaced substantially forwardly of the forward edges of the bars 11, 11', but slightly inwardly or rearwardly from the forward ends of the bars 25, 25. The front ends of the bars 31, 31 are connected to each other by a longitudinally extending angle bar 35 having closed end por- 3 tions for connecting the same to the member 3l, 31 as by bolts 3d.

A longitudinally extending support bar 37 is suitably connected, as by bolts, at its opposite ends to the front frame members Ill, ll adjacent the upper portion of the display rack near the apex of the triangularly-shaped frames. This support bar 37 is spaced above the bars 3i, 31 and it will he observed that in Figure l an article or a plurality of articles such as chairs may be displayed by placing the front legs of said chairs in the angle bar 3S and supporting the rear legs of said chairs or the like by the longitudi ally extending support bar 37.

The display rack described may be utilized by placing the same against the wall of a display room or two racks may be piaced back to back, and a davenport, couch or the like indicated at D may be placed on the floor beneath said display rack and between the triangularlyshaped end frames.

The shelves 27, 27 may then support another article of furniture such as the sofa S in spaced, superposed, and preferably staggered, relation to the davenport D, and the chairs C may be displayed above the sofa S in superposed, spaced, and preferably staggered, relation. lt will be observed that in the use of this type of rack, each of the articles of furniture may be clearly observed and no part thereof is hidden, and thus an effective display is provided which permits maximum utilization of the available display area.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, it will be observed that the display rack can be slightly modied in order to permit a plurality of smaller articles to be displayed on the lowermcst shelf or the intermediate display area, The display raclY as shown in Figure 1 is made exactly as teretofore described with the exception that the removable oars 26 and 26' and their associated plate members 27, 27 are removed. A transversely extending angle iron l0 having integral plate members 4l at each end thereof is then bolted to the proximate ends of the support angie bars 20, 20 to thus form a continuous support bar extending across the display rack in horizontal alinement with the rear trame member 13. A suitable plate 42 may then be utilized as a shelf by having its opposite ends positioned upon the horizontal flanges of the bars 25, 25, and preferably secured thereto as by bolts 43, and it will be observed that the rearmost edge of the plate 42 is supported by the horizontal ange of the rear frame nernber i3.

By utilizing the full shelf member or plate 4Z as shown in Figures 2 and 3 a plurality of articles may be displayed on the intermediate display area.

ln the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although speciiic terms are employed, they are used in a descriptive and generic sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being dened inthe claims.

l claim:

1. A furniture display rack for displaying a plurality ot" chairs and a sofa, said rack comprising a pair of end frames interconnected by chair and sofa support members; each of said end frames comprising a vertical leg and an inclined leg connected at their apex; said chair support member comprising a irst elongated bar extending between said inclined legs adjacent the apex of said frame members and a horizontally disposed U-shaped member spaced beneath said elongated bar, said U-shaped member including a pair of supporting arms each connectcd to one of said end frames and extending beyond the inclined legs of said end frames and an elongated 1'ilse member connected to the ends of said support- Y rem^te from said end frames; said sofa support m aber comp a second elongated bar extending etween the medial portions of said vertical legs 0n the and a pair of horizontally spaced shelves disposed in a common horizontal plane spaced beneath said U-shapcd member, and means securing said shelves to opposite of. said second elongated bar and to the proximate sur es of said end frames.

7. A furniture display rack comprising a pair of trirl/-shaped end frames interconnected by rst and sec =nd vertically spaced groups of furniture support memeach of said end frames including a pair of upw .r-cly converging legs spaced from each other at their cgs; said first group of support members including an upt er bar extending between corresponding legs of the frame members adjacent the upper ends thereof and a horizontally disposed U-shaped member spaced below said bar, said U-shaped member including a pair or supporting each connected to one of said end frames and extending substantially beyond the end frames and a shallow 1f-shaped trough member connected to the ends of the su orting arms remote from said end frames and forming the bottom of the U-shaped member whereby furni ture supported by said first group of support members is tilted for display purposes; said second group of support tembers including a pair of lower horizontally spaced bars disposed in a common horizontal plane beneath said U-shaped member, each of said lower bars extending between the medial portions of corresponding legs on said end frames, at least one horizontally disposed shelf supported by said lower bars, the second group of support members being spaced vertically from the lower ends of the legs on said end frames a distance at least equal to the distance bet-Neen the second group of support members and the U-shaped member, and the area between the lower portions ot said legs and beneath said second group of support members being unobstructed whereby additional display space is provided beneath said second group of support members.

References Cited in the le orc this patent UlJlTED STATES PATENTS 

